Featured Research

from universities, journals, and other organizations

Ants Have The Right Idea When It Comes To Managing A Busy Port

Date:

December 11, 2008

Source:

University of Twente

Summary:

If you want to optimize the handling of inland container barges in the port of Rotterdam then look no further than the lowly ant. The way in which ants organize themselves, without a central director, would result in greater efficiency, and the time barges spend in port could be considerably reduced.

Share This

According to researcher Albert Douma, of the University of Twente, if you want to optimize the handling of inland container barges in the port of Rotterdam then look no further than the lowly ant. The way in which ants organize themselves, without a central director, would result in greater efficiency, and the time barges spend in port could be considerably reduced.

Related Articles

Douma has developed a new method for the optimum planning of the rotation of a barge in the port: the barge loads or unloads containers at various terminals in the best possible order, that is, the order that gives the least delay. A central director would seem to be the most obvious solution here, but this is not usual because barge and terminal operators do not like to divulge competition-sensitive information. However, the present system of making appointments is vulnerable and entails a great deal of uncertainty with regard to waiting times. In a port that is becoming busier and busier, this can cause unnecessary waiting times.

Agents negotiate

Douma has therefore opted for a multi-agent approach that is similar to the ‘self organization’ in an ant colony. An agent is an intelligent software program that has a limited number of tasks, as does the ant: it has to negotiate to the best of its abilities for its client but otherwise has no overview of the greater whole. The barges and terminals each have one of these agents. Mr Douma has the agents negotiate with regard to the ‘service time’ or total waiting time and handling time at any given terminal.

Of the negotiation strategies examined, this service time profile gave the best planning results. The barge’s agent asks for the service profiles of the terminals and can quickly determine the best order in which to visit the terminals. Subsequently the barge’s and the terminal’s agents agree on the times: the barge arrives before a certain time and the terminal promises to complete activities within a maximum service time.

Mr Douma says that simulations with the multi-agent approach in realistic port situations show that the method is able to considerably reduce the average time for which barges stay in the port. The total waiting time decreases, for example, because the barge operator will first try to make agreements with the terminal which seems to be causing a bottleneck; he uses the waiting time for that terminal efficiently by planning other terminals in that same period. However, the system is not rigid: the ‘service time’ concept allows a certain amount of leeway so that it is still possible for terminals to fit in other barges if circumstances change. The research also included the development of a ‘serious game’, which was played in various workshops with port professionals. The game sessions enabled the refinement of the agent concept and discussions on the feasibility of putting the system into practice.

Albert Douma has defended his PhD on 9 December . His thesis is titled ‘Aligning the operations of barges and terminals through distributed planning’. He was supervised by Dr Peter Schuur and Prof. Jos van Hillegersberg. The research is part of the national project TRANSUMO in The Netherlands and is being carried out at the Centre for Telematics and Information Technology (CTIT) of the University of Twente.

University of Twente. "Ants Have The Right Idea When It Comes To Managing A Busy Port." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 December 2008. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081211081815.htm>.

University of Twente. (2008, December 11). Ants Have The Right Idea When It Comes To Managing A Busy Port. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 3, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081211081815.htm

University of Twente. "Ants Have The Right Idea When It Comes To Managing A Busy Port." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081211081815.htm (accessed March 3, 2015).

More From ScienceDaily

More Matter & Energy News

Featured Research

Mar. 3, 2015 — By examining the forces that the segments of mosquito legs generate against a water surface, researchers have unraveled the mechanical logic that allows the mosquitoes to walk on water, which may ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Researchers have developed a new way of rapidly screening yeasts that could help produce more sustainable biofuels. The new technique could also be a boon in the search for new ways of deriving ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Major cities in the UK are falling behind their international counterparts in terms of their use of smart technologies, according to a new study. The research has found that smart cities in the UK, ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Scientists have explored friction at the microscopic level. They discovered that the force generating friction is much stronger than previously thought. The discovery is an important step toward ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Micro-drones are already being put to use in a large number of areas: These small aircraft face extensive requirements when performing aerial observation tasks or when deployed in the field of ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Recent research contributes to the effort to determine the nature of dark matter, one of the most important mysteries in physics. As indirect evidence provided by its gravitational effects, dark ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015 — Physicists have shown for the first time that electrons in graphene can be moved along a predefined path. This movement occurs entirely without loss and could provide a basis for numerous ... full story

Featured Videos

Forensic Holodeck Creates 3D Crime Scenes

Reuters - Innovations Video Online (Mar. 3, 2015) — A holodeck is no longer the preserve of TV sci-fi classic Star Trek, thanks to researchers from the Institute of Forensic Medicine Zurich, who have created what they say is the first system in the world to visualise the 3D data of forensic scans. Jim Drury saw it in operation.
Video provided by Reuters

Solar Plane Passes New Test Ahead of World Tour

AFP (Mar. 2, 2015) — A solar-powered plane made a third successful test flight in the United Arab Emirates on Monday ahead of a planned round-the-world tour to promote alternative energy. Duration: 01:05
Video provided by AFP

Electric Hydrofoiling Watercraft Delivers Eco-Friendly Thrills

Reuters - Innovations Video Online (Mar. 2, 2015) — The Quadrofoil is a high-tech electric personal watercraft that its makers call a &apos;sports car for the water&apos;. When it hits 10 km/h, the Slovenian-engineered Quadrofoil is lifted above the water onto four wing-like hydrofoils where it &apos;flies&apos; above the surface with minimal water resistance. Matthew Stock reports.
Video provided by Reuters

Related Stories

Jan. 30, 2014 — Scientists have built the first-ever nonreciprocal circulator for sound that is able to break sound wave reciprocity. The device is a 'one-way road for sound' that transmits acoustic waves ... full story

Nov. 27, 2013 — The DockingAssist system is a precise, high-speed port navigation system developed in a European research project. DockingAssist has the potential to improve port-area safety and increase overall ... full story

Nov. 26, 2013 — Fire-ant rafts aren’t just unusual in that they’re “viscoelastic,” like Jell-O and toothpaste, according to a new study. Researchers found the rafts actively reorganize their structure, a ... full story

ScienceDaily features breaking news and videos about the latest discoveries in health, technology, the environment, and more -- from major news services and leading universities, scientific journals, and research organizations.